February 2019 Travel Tips and Tales Newsletter
February 2019 Travel Tips and Tales Newsletter – Viv and Jill in Alaska with UnCruise Adventures
February 2019 Travel Tips and Tales Newsletter
By WAVEJourney
Greetings!
WJ is busy lining up travel plans for spring. How about you? What travels are on your upcoming schedule?
At the end of March we’ll start with a few days in Fort Lauderdale, Florida before we join Holland America Line for a 7-night Caribbean cruise on their newest ship, Nieuw Statendam.
We’re super excited for this cruise for a couple of reasons:
1. The itinerary is wonderful! Ports include: Grand Turk; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas,U.S.V.I.; Half Moon Cay – HAL’s private island in the Bahamas.
2. Nieuw Statendam has some dining and music venues we have not experienced previously on other DAM ships.
Be sure to follow us on our social media channels for updates along the way.
Following our Caribbean cruise, we’ll be in Miami for about a week. First we’ll be attending Seatrade Cruise Global – the world’s largest cruise convention – to learn all about the latest news from the top cruise industry experts. There are always exciting announcements made during the convention, so we’ll definitely be sharing them with you.
After Seatrade Cruise Global and a couple of days exploring Miami, we’re joining Celebrity Cruises for a transatlantic cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton, England voyage aboard Celebrity Silhouette. This will be our first Celebrity experience, and we’re thrilled to take this 13-night Trade Winds transatlantic cruise that has stops in the Bahamas, Bermuda, and Lisbon. The longest stretch of sea days on the itinerary is five – it’s a 5-day sailing from Bermuda until reaching Lisbon. That time will give us the opportunity to thoroughly explore Silhouette, and partake in as many activities as possible.
Once we hit land in Blighty, we’ll spend the next couple of months in Europe. More info to come on those travel plans next month. But, in the meantime, read on for some terrific travel tips from our personal Travel Advisor, Vicki Winters, and meet some of our travel writer/blogger friends and colleagues.
BTW: Love to cruise? On Twitter? Come join us for a Cruise Chat party on Twitter in March and you might be a lucky recipient of some cool swag being given away to participants. Details below.
TIPS FROM WJ’s TRAVEL ADVISOR – VICKI WINTERS
Vicki Winters Virtuoso Partner Travel Advisor
SIX REASONS PEOPLE ARE FLOCKING BACK TO TRAVEL ADVISORS
1. Personalized planning: Whether you’re the do-it-yourself type seeking validation or want someone else to take the reins, when you collaborate with a travel advisor, your trips will be tailored to your interests and budget. An advisor gets to know your preferences and instinctively anticipates your needs and wishes down to the smallest detail.
2. Global expertise and connections: Not only do Virtuoso travel advisors have extensive personal knowledge of destinations and products around the world, they have relationships with global partners who can help arrange experiences to make a trip truly extraordinary.
3. Value: A Virtuoso advisor has access to the same (and often better) pricing than you can find online. They can secure special perks like complimentary room upgrades, daily breakfast, and other benefits you can’t get on your own. The amenities you’ll receive on a hotel stay alone are valued at more than $500 per stay.
4. VIP treatment: A Virtuoso travel advisor has access behind the velvet rope to experiences you never even dreamed were possible. After all, you can’t VIP yourself, but your advisor can by securing you exclusive entry to events, private tours, and more.
5. Convenience: Planning and booking your own trip would take hours and hours. Even then, it’s like drinking from a fire hose with all the information out there. Travel advisors provide the kind of top-notch service that helps you conserve your most precious resource: time.
6. Peace of mind: In addition to saving you time and money, your advisor is available 24/7 before, during, and after your trip – so you can relax and have fun. Booking with a Virtuoso advisor means you have support during your travels to assist with any last-minute emergencies. And you’ll also receive a crucial follow-up call after the trip to discover how to improve the experience for the next time.
Need travel advice? Want to book a trip? Looking for personalized service to suit your needs and budget? WJ recommends you connect with Vicki Winters, and tell her Viv and Jill sent you. We know you’ll be well taken care of!
Vicki Winters
Virtuoso Travel Advisor
[email protected]
Tel: (917) 488-4942
WJ FEATURED BLOGGERS
Meet WJ’s travel friends and colleagues. Not only do we love them as people, but we enjoy their work and personally read their blogs. We highly suggest you take a peek at 2foodtrippers, Dana Freeman Travels and Mapping Megan – between them, they cover many different aspects of travel and share fantastic travel tips and recommendations.
Daryl and Mindi Hirsch from 2foodtrippers – Prepare to drool while reading their articles!
Daryl and Mindi Hirsch – 2foodtrippers
Winners of Saveur Magazine’s ‘Best Travel Blog’ award in 2018, Daryl and Mindi Hirsch travel the world in search of the next great meal. After starting their journey at a breakneck pace, they now travel slowly so they can immerse themselves in each city they visit. This groundbreaking approach enables them to create comprehensive food guides, articles and videos that help travelers find the best food and drinks throughout the world. Many say that they’re ‘living the dream.’ They don’t disagree.
Their award-winning 2foodtrippers site celebrates the sweet spot where food and travel meet. Not limited to any one type of food or specific destination, they inspire readers with fabulous food photography, novel culinary experiences and real-life personal stories. Available for free, the blog’s extensive food guides provide a tempting range of options from cheap eats to fine dining, mirroring how real people like to eat and drink when they travel.
Meet Dana Freeman from Dana Freeman Travels – For unique travel stories from someone who’s been there and back!
Dana Freeman from Dana Freeman Travels
Dana is originally from New York City but has been calling Vermont home for almost the last 20 years. She is an entrepreneur, freelance journalist, and the editor behind Dana Freeman Travels. Through her writing, she provides unique destination information, reviews, and travel tips. Dana specializes in cruise, adventure, food, luxury, and multi-generational travel. You won’t find any touristy places on her itinerary. She always prefers the road less traveled. Her favorite place to be is on the water.
In 2018 Freeman was named by Travel Pulse as one of the Top 30 Bloggers and Travelers to Follow for Summer Vacation Advice and by Porthole Cruise Magazine one of the Top 10 Travel Influencers You Need to Follow.
Follow her latest adventures and get inspired to travel!
Meet Meg Jerrard from Mapping Megan – Featuring the top travel tips, photography, and inspiring stories!
Meg Jerrard from Mapping Megan
I’m a 30-year-old travel addict and adrenaline junkie from Australia, with an incurable disease called “the travel bug”. I have a background in Journalism and Law, but my travel blog turned into a profitable business before I had the opportunity to apply for grad jobs!
While having my name etched into a door in a law office would have been cool, the great thing about being a full-time blogger is that my office now ranges from villas in the Galapagos Islands, to beaches on the Great Barrier Reef, bungalows overlooking volcanoes in Costa Rica, and everywhere in between!
I’ve always had a passion for writing, so when I started traveling in 2007 I began keeping a personal travel blog as a way to express myself, and a way to document my travels – somewhat of an online diary, which I could look back on in the future and remember my trips.
Then technology revolutionized the world, and people began making money online, so I kept uploading my adventures as I had been, though started marketing my content as a professional brand instead of a hobby blog. I have been writing in the travel niche ever since; guides, videos, interviews with people we meet on the road, and narratives about our adventures. Psyched to be featured here on WAVEJourney!
WJ’s #TBINChat TWITTER TRAVEL CHAT INVITATION
#TBINChat March 12, 2019 – Cruise Chat
Every month WJ hosts #TBINChat Twitter Travel Chat. There is a different travel-related topic that participants join in for an hour of fun, informative, lively and inspirational chatting on Twitter. We’d love it if you joined us!
The next #TBINChat is Tuesday March 12 at Noon PST/3 PM EST, and we’ll chat about all types of cruises.
Swag giveaways will be randomly drawn from the cruise chat participants. Cruise lines providing giveaways are:
Holland America Line – 2 x US$50 Amazon Gift Cards (open to anyone in a country that accepts Amazon)
AmaWaterways – 3 swag bags (open to anyone in USA and Canada)
Paul Gauguin Cruises – Swag bag (open to anyone in USA)
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection – Swag bag (open to anyone in USA, Canada or UK)
MSC Cruises – Swag bag (open to anyone in USA)
THREE OF WJ’s TOP TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2018
WJ Tested: Cruise Review of Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas
Travel Alaska: Best Way to Spend 24 Hours in Fairbanks
Travel Alaska: The Best Way to Spend 48 Hours in Anchorage
TRAVEL INSPIRATION
Travel Spain – Discover Girona and Costa Brava in Catalonia
Need some more ideas for your next trip? Peruse the archives to discover some of our favorite travel adventures and gear.
Here’s an example to help you plan your getaway:
Travel Spain – Discover Girona and Costa Brava in Catalonia
Remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (links are in the sidebar), where we share fun travel photos, videos, deals, tales and tips on a daily basis.
Cheers,
Viv and Jill – AKA: WJ
